| Ingredients, herbal use Page 1 of 3 Next>> |
Definitions for some of our ingredients, herbs, and their` uses. Most Herbs and butters can be added to our goat milk soaps. Many of the following herbs are also available in teas, so get your nutrition inside and out! |
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#276 Goat's Milk Kardez naturally rich moisturizing soap contains fresh goat's milk; the only milk containing an active protein known to be a natural skin moisturizer. It's natural properties will leave your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated. Light, fresh scent. Goat's Milk : (Liquid Vitamin D Goats Milk). It has a very creamy lather and a bit of a sweet smell of milk. It is a creamy custard color and has a hint of the sweet smell of milk. When we think of the term "milk," our minds automatically assume the milk of the cow. In fact, more people in the world consume goat's milk than the milk of any other animal. Goat's milk differs from cow's milk in the molecular structure of the naturally occurring proteins and triglycerides. These shorter strands are easily absorbed by the skin, resulting in a natural moisturizing effect. | ||||||||
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#273 Chamomile Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla At least two different plants are commonly called "chamomile," and both have daisy-like flowers with the aroma of fresh apples. The taller German (or Hungarian) Chamomile is most often used in teas and herbal formulas, though it shares many qualities with the lower-growing Anthemis nobilis, or "Roman Chamomile." Still, Germans consider Matricaria chamomilla the "genuine chamomile," said to be "alles zutraut" or "capable of anything." Ancient herbalists believed chamomile was a cure-all, good for everything from headaches to kidneys. Recent research has confirmed many benefits of chamomile, including its soothing effect on jangled nerves, irritated skin and upset stomachs. A cup of golden chamomile tea is especially calming in the evening, when you're settling down for a good night's sleep. | ||||||||
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#275 Black Tea Black Tea Camellia sinensis Most people don't think of black tea as an herb, yet it is the most widely used herb in the world. Tea is also the world's second most popular beverage, topped only by water. A mainstay in Chinese medicine for at least 3000 years, tea is recommended there for all kinds of health purposes. Black tea comes from the same leaves as green and oolong teas — differences in processing determine which kind of tea the leaves become. See the information for green and oolong teas for a more in-depth explanation. Black tea also has antioxidant properties, helping to keep you in good health. | ||||||||
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#263 Eucalyptus Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus The Australian koala wouldn't consider living without this healthful herb. . . literally. Eucalyptus leaves are the fuzzy marsupial's sole food source. Native to Australia, eucalyptus trees have also been vital to the survival to the aboriginal people there since earliest times. They chew the roots for their water in the dry outback and drink tea made from the leaves. A director of Melbourne's Botanical Gardens introduced this beneficial herb to Europe in the 1800s, where its oil became popular to support the respiratory system. Eucalyptus can be especially comforting when you have a cold. Remember, a little bit goes a looonnng way! | ||||||||
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#265 Ginger Ginger Zingiber officinale Ginger is a perennial herb originally grown in tropical Asia and now cultivated extensively in the West Indies. The root has an exotic, spicy taste that has been used in many cultures to flavor foods. For at least two (some say up to FIVE!) thousand years, the Chinese have used ginger to soothe stomachs. To aid digestion after big meals, the ancient Greeks ate ginger roots wrapped in bread, which eventually evolved into gingerbread. Ginger is believed to support the circulatory system and digestion, but its most "tried-and-true" use is to soothe the stomach when you're in motion. | ||||||||
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#261 Ginseng Habitat Perennial herb, native to Eastern N. America found from Maine to Georgia, west to Oklahoma and Minnesota, growing in rich soils in cool woods. Cultivation: Ginseng requires a deep moist humus rich soil in a shady position in a woodland, growing well on north-facing slopes and in deep cool woodland areas. Seeds should be sown in a shady position in a cold frame or greenhouse, and spend least their first winter there. Plant into their permanent positions in late summer or early spring. It has a large, thick, fleshy, whitish, root, growing 3 to 4 inches in length, specimens have been found twice this size. Most roots are spindle shaped with smaller appendages. The stem is simple and erect, on average about 1 to 2 foot high, bearing three to five large, palmate, leaves in a whorl atop the stem, each leaf is long stalked, divided into five finely-toothed, short petiole, leaflets, and a single, terminal umbel, with a few small, yellowish or light green flowers which grow on a short stalk from the center of the whorl of leaves. The fruit is a cluster of bright red berries. Flowers bloom in June and July. Gather the roots in Fall after the berries or seeds have fallen away. Dry for later herb use. The wild supply is quickly being diminished due to over harvesting for export to china and other countries, in some areas it is illegal to harvest during certain months of the year. Properties Ginseng herb has a long history of use as an alternative medicine going back over 5,000 years, and appears on several continents (origin unknown), it is and was used extensively in Native American medicine. The root is adaptogen, cardiotonic, demulcent, panacea, sedative, sialagogue, stimulant, tonic and stomachic. Ginseng has been studied over the past 30 years in many countries, it’s remarkable ability to help the body adapt to mental and emotional stress, fatigue, heat, cold, and even hunger is confirmed and documented! The major constituents in Ginseng are Triterpenoid saponins, Ginsenosides (at least 29 have been identified), Acetylenic compounds, Panaxans, and Sesquiterpenes. Taken over an extended period it is used to increase mental and physical performance. It is medicinal and therapeutic for the whole body. A very powerful medicinal herb, it both stimulates and relaxes the nervous system, encourages the secretion of hormones, improves stamina, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels and increases resistance to disease. The ginsenosides that produce these effects are very similar to the body’s own natural stress hormones. It is used in the treatment of debility associated with old age or illness, lack of appetite, insomnia, stress, shock and chronic illness. Ginseng also increases immune function, resistance to infection, and supports liver function. The leaf is emetic and expectorant. The root is candied and used as a an edible medicinal kind of candy.Ginseng stimulates and increases endocrine activity in the body. Promotes a mild increase in metabolic activity and relaxes heart and artery movements. Stimulates the medulla centers and relaxes the central nervous system. CAUTION: Don't take Ginseng and Ginseng mixtures with Coffee as it will accelerate the caffeine effects on the body and can cause diarrhea. Ginseng is said to be highly good for the metabolism, and promotes general well being. It has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, but this seems to be totally based on the fact that it relaxes the overly tense person a bit. If you suffer from back pain or TMJ adding this to a tea of Catnip and slippery elm may help. It is also presumably useable as an ingredient in a meade or magewine. Folklore The roots are called Jin-chen by the natives of China, meaning 'like a man,' in reference to their looking like the human form. The American Indian name for the plant, garantoquen, has (strangely) the same meaning and uses, seeing how each race had no knowledge of the existence of the other. The American Indians attributed much magic power to Ginseng. The Seminole Indians using it as a Love Medicine, rubbed it on the body and clothes to bring back a divorced wife. Dosage This seems to vary, some say 1000 mg. a day, others more or less! I just break off a small piece of the dried root (aspirin size) and swallow it with the daily vitamin. | ||||||||
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